Colossus: Wandering Shadows
by X Prodigy
Summary: The Colossi have risen again, as has the spirit of Dormin. To prevent the the colossus from falling into the hands of those who seek destruction; sixteen are brought to the Forbidden Lands, where they must learn to control the ancient behemoths... or die
1. Fragments

Colossus: Wandering Shadows

Prologue: Fragments

**Absolute power corrupts absolutely.**

**An iron truth that has heralded the fall of many great heroes and tyrants. The selfish struggle to obtain any kind of ungodly power has always resulted in an inhuman sacrifice.**

**What drives mortals to obtain such a goal? Is it their greed? Their lust to control everything that befalls their eyes? Over countless eons, the meaning of this riddle paved in blood and death has been revealed to us.**

**The mortal's capacity for love and hatred, it is a prison just as a much as it is a compass.**

**A runt may call upon strength yet unknown in order to save the soul of a lover that has been taken by death. A single soldier may slay an entire nation in order to satisfy the endless thirst of what is known as vengeance.**

**Emotions are the absolute downfall and yet the absolute bridge of the human heart.**

**We once became whole, when a mortal slew demigods of architecture that held both the earth and sky.**

**We were once sealed in cold light for an eternity, where our power dwindled. Yet we fell into the pool of beautiful darkness once again when we were at last, divided. Divided into sixteen, the sixteen that were once slew by a mortal hand, were now reborn.**

**Reborn by the tide that was but a single mortal's hatred.**

**The Colossi once again roam free across the plain of The Forbidden Land. Giants of water, thunder, stone, earth and heavens breathe again, waiting to be bled.**

**We shall guide the one who has so much hate, lead him on a path of destruction, until he wounds the sacred sixteen, and takes their might for his own.**

**Only then shall we become whole thrice, we shall arise for a third reckoning.**

**Our name is feared, as is our might.**

**Almighty deity that lurks in shadow, we are the black soul of discord.**

**We are Dormin.**

* * *

"If you wish to surpass me...then learn to hate me"

The gutters were filled with blood of the dead. Bodies littered the streets as if they were deceased cattle. Wounds radiated from their corpses, showing their passage of death. They had either died from the shuriken, the katana, the kunai, the fire or the darkness.

This was the work of the shinobi.

The young boy was terrified. Tears flooded from his eyes, the sight of his entire clan slaughtered before him tore at his mind like a hungry wolf.

He was face to face with the instrument of the horrific attack. His eyes, a red deeper than blood, pierced through his facade of bravery, bringing him to his knees in sheer terror.

For the murderer was none other than his older brother...

"If you wish to someday kill me, then fill your heart with hatred, and cling on to this worthless life" he spoke, voice devoid of any emotion, casting his soulless gaze over his younger sibling.

He then turned around and walked, walked into the dark of the night, the moon providing a silhouette that gave him the persona of a reaper, a harvester of souls.

For he had become death incarnate.

He turned, giving one final glance to his brother, whose world he had shattered in one night. His eyes showed no remorse, no pain, no sympathy.

Yet that burned with unseen tears.

"Foolish...little...brother"

* * *

"Hello Tex..."

The grass beneath them was lush, and the sky was the clearest blue you could ever expect it to be. This would have been quite the scenic view, if it weren't for the fact that it was a box canyon in the middle of nowhere, and there was currently a miniature war going on inside it.

"Dude! You will not believe what Doc just pulled off!" the cyan-armour coloured soldier burst out as he gathered with the rest of his troop, sprinting from the grey-hinted base.

"Shut up Tucker, don't interrupt" barked his "commanding" officer, a soldier wearing similar armour, only in a much lighter shade of blue.

"Interrupt what?" he asked.

He then turned his attention to the two remaining soldiers; one dressed in deep blue armour whose was currently shaking like a leaf, while the other was in jet black, looking rather uncomfortable at the entire situation.

"Tex, I think you are pretty, and you haven't hurt my body in a long time, so I was hoping that we could talk and be friends, maybe, and hold hands, and you would go with me. And when you went with me you would be my real girlfriend" the dark-blue soldier hurriedly ended what was already a disastrous attempt at flirting.

"I think that would be...nice, Caboose. We should defiantly...do that" the black-armoured soldier, Tex, replied; barely able to keep the hesitance out of her voice.

Tucker, who was absent to the fact that this was just practise for the mission (well, him and Caboose), literally blew a gasket.

"What the hell? Tex if you want get with someone get with me; the love doctor! I'm a real man! I will rock your fucking world!" he cried, pushing his way past Caboose.

Tex went silent, and glanced over at Church, the soldier in the light-blue armour, who was currently backing away.

"Hey, don't look at me, he's not part of the plan!" he insisted.

That was all the confirmation that Tex needed.

Her fist had buried itself in the cyan-soldier's face before he could even blink, sending him crashing to the earthy floor.

"OW! What is going on around here?" he exasperated.

"I don't think I'm going to use Tucker's 'rock your world' line, I think I'm going to stick with my own material" Caboose commented.

* * *

"Proceed with your report, Vampire" her majesty, the Queen of England, ordered.

Kneeling before her, the crimson coated pale man arose, turning to address all who were present at the Round Table conference.

The sadistic smile leaving his face, the Count of all that is Evil, but better known as Alucard, stepped forward, a sickening fire alight in his eyes.

"55 years ago, a deranged Nazi Major attempted to breed a vampire army" the Vampire King declared, his mind flashing back to the horrific yet delicious battlefield he had stood on during the time of the Second World War.

He remembered it vividly the deaths of hundreds upon hundreds of foes, slashed to ribbons or shot until their brains bled out of their bodies. The memories were fond, as was war. He slowly stepped down the steps towards the high officials and nobles present.

"Walter and I laid waste to their operation" he explained, catching the smile of the aged butler, who had once been a spirited young man who had partaken in the slaughter of the Nazis.

"However, it seems they simple refuse to die. They've returned, replenished their numbers and are ready to complete their original mission" he explained, causing many faces to drop in sheer shock and terror.

"That's what Millennium truly is; the last battalion" he concluded.

"I guess Mr Tuberculin's first blood must've given us avay" a new voice entered the esteemed hall, and all eyes turned to see a new figure standing in the corner.

He was quite short, not to mention young, looking no older than sixteen. He wore bright yellow cloches that were an unfathomable replica of what was worn by the Hitler Youth, which was confirmed by the swastika badge on his left arm. The most stunningly awkward thing about him was the fact he had pink eyes and two cat ears.

"Ze Major sure blew that one" he grinned, speaking with a strong German accent.

Instantly, both guards at the rear door drew their firearms. In a moment's notice the boy was surrounded, with several guns pointed at his face. He immediately drew his hands up, but showed no sign of fear.

"Whoa there! I'm just a messenger, I'm not here to fight anyone" he explained, slowly approaching the round table.

"Explain this" barked the imposing female at the end of the table.

"My deepest apologies marm, I don't know how he got past security" Walter apologised.

"Zhey are useless against me, I'm everyvhere, and novhere" the boy grinned.

* * *

"Hey boss! Why don't you stop eating that commoner's ramen and come help us with the party planning!" Hikaru bellowed out across the room.

"Does it really bother you that Princess Kasaka has taken a likening to Haruhi?" Kaoru asked, but still got no response from the blonde heartthrob of the school.

It was early spring and afternoon was fading into evening, evident by the beautiful sunset that drowned the sky in beautiful orange light. Inside the walls of Ouran High School (the most expensive and prestigious school in the country), behind the doors of Music Room 3, the Ouran Host Club sat in debate of the upcoming school events.

At least they were supposed to.

"Oh, so he's upset because I took her from him?"

The most recent and most unusual edition to the club was Miss Haruhi Fujioka, the only "commoner" who had manage to enter the school. Unfortunately, since her arrival certain incidents had taken place where she found herself in so much debt that she was forced to join the Host Club under the facade of a male.

"SHUT UP! I COULDN'T CARE LESS!" the blonde "king" of the Host Club yelled out.

This was Tamaki Suho, the co-founder of the Host Club and self-proclaimed "prince of lady's hearts". He had recently decided to turn Haruhi into a fully-fledged host (after he failed to realise that she was indeed, a she) and had become something of a dysfunctional father.

"I'm running out of patience! Haruhi, it's time you started dressing like a girl!" he commanded, causing the rookie of the Host Club to raise an eyebrow.

"I don't understand how you can be so popular with the ladies when you yourself are a lady!" he burst out, suddenly running off and spiriting back within a split second, coming back with a chest marked "King's Personal Property".

"That's enough Haruhi, now you listen to daddy!" he suddenly yanked out a full life-size frame containing a picture of a beautiful girl with long hazel hair.

"Daddy wants you to go back to the way you were!" he cried out, melodramatic as always.

"Don't go blowing up my photos without asking me first!" Haruhi snapped back.

From the back of the room, the two remaining members of the Host Club watched the drama unfold. One was quite short, even smaller than Haruhi, and had bright blonde hair as well as a stuffed animal locked firmly in his arms. He looked like a child, but was actually one of the oldest ones there.

The other was the exact opposite; he was tall, dark, imposing and deathly quiet. Scruffs of spiky black hair stood out, giving him quite a vicious persona. Of course this was just his outward appearance. Though it was true that he could probably flatten anyone who tried any stupid, he was warm and compassionate albeit a bit distant.

They were Mitsukuni "Honey" Haninozuka and Takashi "Mori" Morinozuka; the seniors of the Host Club and two of the most accomplished and well recognized martial artists in the world.

"Haru-chan and Tama-chan are really funny together!" Honey chirped, his child like persona ever active.

Mori didn't respond.

"What's the matter Takashi? You're quieter than usual today" Honey asked his cousin.

"...It's nothing" he finally spoke, his eyes not leaving Haruhi.

"I just have a feeling that something is wrong"

* * *

"I've followed all the rules! Lived a life of decency and principle! So why didn't I trust my instincts? That one day these short-sighted shenanigans would GO TO FAR!" the sock-hat boy yelled out.

The barren wasteland before them was...well, barren.

The only sight that wasn't plain sand was the debris of the destroyed red car, as well as three young boys covered in bruises and scratches from their near demise. The largest of the three hid behind the smallest in a sudden jolt of fear at his sock-wearing friend burst out in anger, frustration and guilt.

"Double D's dark side makes my armpits sweat Eddy!" the tall boy, Ed, cried out.

"What doesn't?" the shortest boy, Eddy snorted.

"Lost souls are we gentlemen! Doomed for eternity!" the intelligence of the group, Double D continued to mope before falling down on the dusty ground, close to a breakdown.

"Lighten up sockhead! Hasn't Eddy always steered you right?" Eddy grinned, the effects of their previous ordeal seemingly having no effect on him.

This was quite strange; considering they were now outcasts from their own home.

"Ooh! Ooh! If I might partake in this chat!" Ed interjected, back to his happy-go-lucky self.

"Could we not join the circus?" He yelled out, showing that his brain was still shy of one too many cells.

"Circus? Why would we-" Eddy couldn't finish his insult as he was picked up by the large boy by force.

"You could be the world's shortest elephant!" Ed yelled out. As those two squabbled, bickered, and started to slam each other into the dirt while trying to debate over the career path of a clown, Double D was looking to the horizon; barren of life except for themselves.

For a reason he could not understand, he sensed something was amiss.


	2. The Shadow of Death

Colossus: Wandering Shadows 

Act 1: The Forbidden Lands 

The Shadow of Death 

The curse mark was far more agitating than usual.

Thanks to absorbing Orochimaru's chakra, Sasuke's wounds had nearly completely healed, far more rapidly than was to be expected of a human body. Regardless, the Curse Seal of Heaven that was permanently tattooed on his neck was hurting far more severely than it had been in recent years.

Despite the burning sensation of the excessive chakra, Sasuke's facial features did not change. After all, he had just managed to kill off one of the infamous Akatsuki, albeit just.

I guess you could call it manslaughter in the long run; he had pushed the destructive artist known as Deidara to use his final technique.

A technique that involved blowing himself up.

If it weren't for his newly acquired ability, then he would have indeed been vaporised by the blast. It was only a sign, a sign that he was now far stronger than any other shinobi. He had been strong enough to take the power of the White Snake, strong enough to outmatch two members of the lethal missing-nin organisation, and even strong enough to overpower the Nine Tails Kyuubi.

"_I'm now strong enough...to end your life"_ he clenched his fist, his mind fluttering back to that dreadful night, the night where his world had been shattered.

"Itachi" he whispered the name aloud. It was a cursed name, a name that was drowned in the blood of his kin. He had severed all links to the Uchiha name that night and had left him alone in a cold and desolate world.

But all of that was about to change.

He felt three figures approach, and left his anxious thoughts behind him. He would be wise to think of the present rather than the past or future. There was still the matter of locating his brother.

"Do you ever do anything but daydream?" the-white-haired, animalistic teenager asked.

Suigetsu Hozuki was the first member Sasuke had recruited for his own personal squad. A shinobi from the Hidden Mist, as well as student of the one of the Seven Mist Swordsmen, he also been a student of Orochimaru, but never cared much for the disgusting snake ninja. He carried a sword that was nearly the size of him, and could butcher its way through two fully adult shinobi in a single swipe. That along with his talent for water style ninjutsu made him a deadly opponent.

"What news of Itachi?" Sasuke demanded, ignoring the shark-boy's comment, his thoughts never far from his accursed older brother.

"We asked around the nearby towns, but there's been no sign of any shinobi that resembles Itachi" a second responded, this time a women.

Karin was a warden in one of the many bases that Orochimaru had hidden around the land. Her ability to sense nearby chakra was almost as sharp as tongue. She had a strong infatuation with Sasuke, which made her easy to manipulate.

"No intense chakra signatures? Overwhelming genjutsu?" Sasuke demanded, easily able to remember the features of his older brother's chakra.

The red-head shook her head.

"Nothing, the strongest chakra around here for miles is yours" she answered.

Sasuke remained silent, his eyes scanning the horizon, desperate to see his brother bleed. Karin slowly walked up to the ex-Konoha shinobi and stroked her hand across his shoulder. To her, he was perfect in absolutely every way.

"Maybe...maybe we should lay low for a while, move to another nation and get info from smaller villages" she thought aloud.

Sasuke's hand caught hers at lightning speed, bending her wrist until she gasped out in pain. His eyes were as black night, and as hollow as a corpse's shell. Karin fell to her knees feeling as if he was going rip her arm clean out of its socket.

"Unacceptable"

With a jerk, she was pushed back onto the ground. Fighting back tears, she rubbed her wrist and stood back up, her face gone red in embarrassment. She stepped back, giving Sasuke a fair deal of space.

Even if she was obsessed with him psychically, her fear of him outweighed her passion.

"Jugo, anything?" Sasuke asked the final member of his personal squad.

The third member was bigger than all of them, dressed in pale prisoner robes. He had a very innocent look about him, and out of all them he seemed the most at peace. He threw a few stray strands of uncut orange hair out of his eyes and spoke in a deep, yet humble voice.

On first glance, no one would believe that this boy was actually the original owner of the curse mark, and when angered was nearly unstoppable.

"The birds spoke to me, they told me they saw someone resembling Itachi towards the north" he said, very little emotion in his voice.

Sasuke's blood began to boil.

Abandoning the white cloak he had worn when he was a servant of Orochimaru, the younger Uchiha turned around and began to walk in the designated direction.

He turned his head to face his loyal trio, who on a moment's notice would die to help accomplish his goal of vengeance.

"Keep your guard up, even the slightest hint of his presence and you tell me" he ordered, earning a nod from each of Team Hebi.

"I doesn't matter how far, we'll keep searching until we find him" his hand gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, eager for battle.

"Even Itachi Uchiha can't stay hidden forever"

* * *

When he turned back to face the path that would lead them north, Sasuke came face to face with the dark.

He had to blink a couple of times, but it didn't help change the scenery back to the grassy hills of where he had previously been standing. In the split second that Sasuke had taken to turn his head, he found himself in a completely different location.

"What is this?" he thought.

It was a large room; in the sense that it was vertically enormous. Stretching upwards for seemingly miles, the ceiling was impossible to see due to the shroud of dark that obscured his vision. Other than that, the room was rather confined.

Scarce beams of light illuminated the rest of the area. It was unsure if it was stone, marble or some kind of metal that coated the room. Whatever it was, it resembled aged stones mixed with bronze. The place was organized much like a coliseum, in terms that there were rows that gradually winded and ascended throughout area. It seemed to resemble a tower, as the rows were organised in a square-fashion.

Sasuke was looking up at these, as the rows of stone began a few feet up from where he was standing. He was standing in the centre of the tower/arena, in some kind of pt that was layered with black sand. At the centre of the pit stood a small slab of metal, awkwardly piercing the ground at a diagonal angle.

Surrounding the shard, and somehow free form any grain of sand, was a small pool of water. What occurred immediately to the young ninja was that the water seemed darker than all the sand and shadows of the area itself.

The cries of his team-mates broke his chain of thought.

"Wh-what the hell? How the bloody mist did we end up hear?" Suigetsu cried, whirling around like a madman, unable to adjust to his new surroundings.

"S-Sasuke? What is this place?" Karin wailed.

The Uchiha remained silent, and instead activated his sacred Bloodline Limit. Instantly his eyes turned a deep red with three black slits embedded in the iris. The Sharingan; the ultimate form of ocular ninjutsu, was the pride of the Uchiha Clan. The eyes could pierce illusion, flesh, dreams reality itself.

Scanning the area in mere seconds, Sasuke tried to discover any external chakra source that may be keeping them in the mysterious prison.

"T-This is insane! We were on a hill a few seconds ago! When in the hell did anyone-" Suigetsu continued to panic, but was suddenly interrupted.

"Jugo?" Karin asked.

The former prisoner of Orochimaru was all fours, breath rapidly exhaling. All of his muscles were clenched and he was sweating profusely. It looked like he was in a severe state of pain, like he was struggling to keep his sanity.

"Sasuke!" Karin cried.

The shinobi turned his attention to the large boy, his Sharingan resting on Jugo's body. What he saw wasn't pretty.

He was the only one who could see it. The chakra inside Jugo's body was going haywire, twisting and breaking apart in such a way that would usually cause a person to break apart from the inside. Jugo appeared to be the exception, as the chakra from his unseen Curse Mark was quickly sewing his regular chakra back in place, only to have it break apart again.

This wasn't an effect of the Curse Mark. Normally it just rearranged the pattern of chakra, mutating it. In this case, there was some unknown force that was tearing it apart, forcing the chakra to split and splinter the body.

"What's happening to him?" Karin shouted out, still in shock.

Sasuke was at a loss for words, he had never come across this before. Suigetsu was trying to hold Jugo down, stopping him going wild with the pain. Even in his fits of rage, he was never this broken.

"Sas...uke..." Jugo managed to spit out between the gasps and screams of pain. He raised a swollen hand towards the pool behind them.

Karin and Suigetsu followed his gaze, and went pale quite quickly.

Sasuke wasted no time and pulled his sword form it' sheath, and spun around. He was ready to face whatever unknown enemy had caused this, and he would sever their head form their body in a single stoke.

At least that was the plan, but the result played out much differently.

From everyone else's viewpoint, it appeared that the water was slowly rising around the shard in slow waves. Gradually they increased in size and started to spiral around the shard itself. The water shimmered, ripples of darkness speaking through the small currents.

It was eerie and stunning for those who watched it with plain eyes.

For Sasuke, it was like looking into Hell...

There was blood and darkness, blending together in a parade of death. Millions dying, bodies filling the land, rivers running red and screams that pierced the sky. So much death, with only one thing connecting it.

Its face stared right back into his.

Sasuke let out a cry; a perfect blend of pain, shock and fear. He stumbled back, his eyes felt like they were on fire; he could feel the softness of his eyes begin to boil at the nearest glance at...whatever it was.

Falling to the floor, he shielded his eyes and deactivated the Sharingan as quickly as possible. He was sweating, breath coming and going in short rapid bursts. The image was stained in his mind, like a canvas had been carved into his brain with a blade. The strange thing was...is that there was no definitive image, only a blend of rage and hate.

"**You should be more careful where you cast your gaze, young Uchiha"** a voice, inhuman in every sense of the word – spoke out from the nothingness.

When the pain in Sasuke's eyes had finally faded, he dared a glance at the centre of the pit. The shard had vanished, at had the water, all that was left was...it.

It wasn't a tangent of his imagination, it was defiantly a physical being, but it had ethereal properties about it. It tended to fade in certain parts; sometimes the blackness of its body would vanish, only to be replaced by new darkness which spread out further than before.

In appearance, it looked like a mixture of black cloud and dark water, constantly churning in a state of flux. The only thing that was vaguely visible was the eyes, eyes that seemed to change across the spectrum.

**"There are some things in this world that even the Sharingan cannot see past" **

The voice bared tones of both a male and a female. Slowly, the shadows began to converge and created misty black arms, its eyes turning from yellow, to white, to green almost simultaneously.

Sasuke felt a cold bead of sweat roll down his cheek.

The entity stared directly at him.

"**Greetings Sasuke Uchiha, we have much to discuss..." **


	3. The Exiled Children

Colossus: Wandering Shadows 

Act 1: The Forbidden Lands 

The Exiled Children 

"Okay! Here's the plan!" Eddy yelled, standing on the remains of his brother's car. Being the boy he was, no matter how gloomy the situation, he would work a way out of it. And if possible, make some cash out of it at the same time.

"We lay low for a few years, scam enough cash for face-transplants and BAM! They'll let us back into Peach Creek before you can say jawbreakers!"

"Jawbreakers!" Ed yelled out.

"And pray tell Eddy, how do you plan to scam several thousand dollars, find a surgeon who would perform an operation on healthy subjects without a strand of facial harm, and happily perform it on students who haven't even graduated yet" Double D asked, baking in the sun's heat.

"...New plan! We head for California and-" Eddy began, but the sock-wearing boy was having none of it.

"Forget it Eddy! We're stranded in the middle of nowhere! Forced from our homes under the veil of shame and guilt! Nothing to hold onto but memories and the clothes on our backs! Good lord, what fools we are!" Double D wailed, crawling onto what was left of the hood of the car and buried his head in his hands.

"Hmm...if I may interject" Ed shouted out, his brain forcing itself to try and sound intellectual.

"Would it not help if we just went back said we were sorry?" Ed asked, a massive dopy grin on his face, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

And uncomfortable silence sprawled between the three friends.

"Dear Ed, that's a wonderful and very...innocent thought, but I fear that we've jumped off of the deep end this time, I don't think the consequences of our actions can be redeemed and forgiven with a simple apology" Double D sighed, patting his large friend on the back.

"...What if we baked them cookies!" Ed grinned, not deterred in the slightest.

"They won't go for the cookies you idiot!" Eddy howled.

"Eddy doesn't like cookies...therefore he is a walrus" Ed replied.

"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?"

Ed and Eddy broke out into another chase and eventual beating, both boys tumbling in the sand of the barren wasteland. Deep down, Double D knew his friends were trying to cover up the pain of fear, loss, and their imminent exile. He knew because he felt the same.

"_Unless a miracle presents itself to us, I fear that our lives may as well be over"_ Double D thought to himself, sadness swelling up inside his chest.

A flicker caught his attention, a speckle on the horizon that perked his interest. The hat-wearing boy looked up again, wondering if the flicker would occur again. However, the only thing that remained was the scorching rays of the sun, and the sight of dust being gathered up by the wind.

"That's odd, I swear I saw-"

That was when he saw it, only for a brief second, but a second long enough to register the blinding light that consumed him. Silent, all dominating, and faster than he could inhale another breath, the light washed over him, dissolving all within his sight.

"Hey Eddy! Double D is having an inner monologue!" Ed yelled out happily, pinning Eddy's face in the dirt.

"I don't care if he turned into a bull! Get off my head before I break your-"

The light consumed them before they could even register it.

* * *

**The Trial of Scent: The Brass Corridor**

The change of scenery made Double D's eyes hurt. From a barren wasteland to a shadowy corridor in such a small amount of time, he had cover his eyes to stop them from stinging. After a few seconds of standing still, his eyes shut tight, he slowly opened them and devoured his new surroundings.

There was very little light, only stray beams seeping through the stone slabs on the right hand wall. The corridor itself was huge, the ceiling decorated in shadow. Along the sides of both walls were various sized stones that were a bronze colour, overlapping each other with dark lines running across them, making shapes and symbols that the young boy had never seen before.

A strange scent filled the air, the smell of age, like a centuries old portrait. Every slab of metallic looking stone radiated it. There was another smell as well, the smell of fear.

And Double D was drowning in it.

"W-Where am I?" he managed to mumble. Inside, however, his mind was racing with a million questions.

Where indeed was he? How did he end up here? What was that strange light? Where were his friends? What kind of place was this? Was he in any danger? And who on earth was that unconscious man on the floor?

...Wait.

Double D's attention snapped to the figure lying on the floor, body rotting in dust. On instinct he sprinted over as fast he could to see if the figure was harmed. The first thing he noticed was that he was incredibly tall, with jet black hair obscuring his face, and he was also dressed in a strange blue uniform, from it's colour and material it made him looked very prestigious.

"Sir! Sir! Are you okay! Sir, wake up! Oh dear, what have you got yourself into Eddward?" he thought aloud, shaking the man to try and bring him out of his unconsciousness.

* * *

**The Trial of Sound: The Copper Path**

"...That was fun! Let's do that again!" Ed yelled out.

He then quieted himself down, and peered around his new playpen. There were shards of metal hanging from the ceiling, pieces of the ceiling itself, looking as if something had torn them out in pure rage. Along the floor were strange markings, to large and complicated for Ed to figure out, but they looked really cool – like something he would draw in his scrapbook.

The other thing that he noticed, it was absolutely silent, so quiet his breathing rolled out like a drum, resonating around the room. So quiet in fact, that he could hear the breathing of someone other than himself, and so he slowly turned around, only to prove that his assumption had been correct.

They were standing no more than a metre away. The first figure looked awesome, at least in Ed's mind. He looked like a character out of his comic series: Cosmic Warrior Spaceman Series 4. He was dressed in blue armour with a sunset coloured visor, plus a menacing weapon by his side. That would have thrown Ed off silently, at least making slightly cautious, however what caught his attention was the figure perched on his shoulder.

Holding onto spaceman's helmet for balance while said man supported his back with his armoured arm, the figure looked no older than ten. He was a bright blonde with deep brown eyes, eyes that contained both innocence yet a sharpness that baffled Ed. He was dressed in a bright blue uniform that was torn all over, like it had been chewed up by a dog or wolf.

The three exchanged glances for about a minute.

"Hello, my name is Ed" he spoke out happily.

"Hi!" both figures responded cheerily.

"Oh, um, pardon my intrusion...but where am I?" Ed asked.

The two figures looked at each other, faces riddled with a silent panic. After a few painful seconds, the younger of the two turned to Ed.

"...My name is Mitsukuni Haninozuka, and this is my new friend Caboose" the young boy replied.

"Hello, I'm a Blue Army person" Caboose interjected.

"I'm not going to lie to you Ed; we're all in a lot of trouble"

* * *

**The Trial of Sight: The Hallway of Steel**

"Oh my aching...did anyone get the number of that taxi?" Eddy moaned rubbing his head as he slowly got himself off of the ground.

He let out a shriek when a surge of pain filled his right hand. Looking down he saw a cut across his palm, caused by the blade that was sticking out of the ground, inches from his head. Eddy didn't even breathe, holding still as a statue as the blade slowly retracted itself into the cold floor below.

After allowing the shock to fade from his system, Eddy slowly brought himself to his shaky feet. From the dark ceiling hung several looped chains, forming arches all across the ceiling until they disappeared into the distance.

There was no doubt about it, Eddy was petrified.

"Okay, okay, calm down, be a man! You just got zapped into a place filled with sharp things...that nearly cut off my friggin' head!" he wailed, taking a few steps back, holding his injured hand.

"No! I'm a man! I ain't the kid that sockhead thinks I am! Any guy in my shoes would freak out but not me! I'm Eddy! The man with the plan! Just chill out and try and find the others, everything will be fine as long as I don't throw a hissy fit" Eddy thought to himself.

He felt rather proud of himself, as if he would ever have a breakdown on the spot, that would jsut be foolish.

"WHERE IN THE WORLD AM I!" a voice shattered the silence.

Eddy snapped around, the further he looked into the distance, the darker it got. The noise got louder, and soon Eddy was able to make out a blonde figure heading towards him, wailing like it was the end of the world.

"Oh dear! Oh dear! Oh dear! Oh dear! What has happened! Have I been kidnapped? Have I been thrown into a bizarre prison! Am I being held random! Are crooks trying to blackmail me? Where is the rest of the club?" he yelled frantically.

Now that he was close enough, Eddy could make out his features. He practically oozed wealth and upper class. The uniform he was wearing was perfectly tailored, and his posture always regained some form of elegance, even if he was having a complete meltdown.

"Wait a second...the club...the others...**HARUHI!**" he burst out, nearly scaring Eddy half to death.

"Where is my darling daughter? What horrors have befallen her! Haruhi! Haruhi! Daddy's going to find you! I swear on my two billion and rising inheritance!" he howled.

That was when he turned and locked eyes with Eddy, who was by now, thoroughly confused.

"Huh? Who are you?" he yelled out.

"Who am I? Who are you?" Eddy retaliated.

"Who am I? I'm Tamaki Suho! Now reveal your identity before I press charges!" Tamaki cried out hysterically.

"What? I just woke up here! How the hell is this my fault!" Eddy snapped back.

"It's obvious you've kidnapped my precious daughter in order to gain access to my magnificent fortune! Shame on you! How can you consider yourself a man if you kidnap a woman who is as poor as can be!" Tamaki ranted.

"Buddy, I ain't got half a clue what you just said! I was being chased out of town only a minute ago! Next thing I know, I wake up in this circus and nearly slice my hand off!"

"Aha! So you admit it! You are a criminal!" Tamaki yelled in triumph.

"Do I look like a criminal to you!" Eddy snapped.

Tamaki stopped yelling for a moment, allowing everything to soak in; his features became for solemn, as if something had finally clicked in his mind.

"Why...you are no more than a child, how did such an innocent as yourself end up in such a dreadful place?" Tamaki asked tenderly.

"Okay, first off; I am fourteen and technically a man! Second, are you bipolar or something?" Eddy asked, griping his wounded hand tightly.

"Hey! I don't care if you're the goddamn Master Chief! both of you get your ass over here and help me!" a third voice caught both Tamaki and Eddy's attention.

Both turned to see, off in the distance, a shadowy figure on the ground, wincing in pain, fresh blood pouring from his leg, a vicious looking blade embedded in it.

Both had to take a moment to swallow the situation.

"What the heck is going on here?" Eddy thought aloud.

* * *

"Who are you?" Sasuke demanded, unsheathing his sword and pointing it directly at the vortex with the piercing eyes. His eyes were stinging immensely; there was even a small glop of blood on his pupils, trickling down his cheek.

**"Such rage, a powerful weapon, one that shall serve you well"** it replied, it's voice making the hairs on the Uchiha's neck stand on end, however, he kept a confident look on his face, the kind of face that showed no sign of looking down.

"Answer my question, or I shall carve you into pieces, no matter what you are" Sasuke replied with quiet intensity.

**"You make empty threats Sasuke Uchiha, soon however, you shall enough strength to decimate any foe that steps before you"** the creature replied.

"What? What are you talking about? And how do you know my name?" Sasuke demanded.

**"We know many things about you Sasuke, we make it our priority to study our saviour intently"** it replied, it's voice rippling through air as a blade through flesh.

"Saviour?" Sasuke asked.

**"Confused? You should be, it is not a common occurrence for a mere mortal to be brought to the Forbidden Lands, without choice that is"** the creature spoke out, only serving to deepen Sasuke's confusion.

"Enough of your riddles, I want answers!" Sasuke snapped back.

There was a tense silence as the creature remained silence the darkened water surrounding it changing shape, slowly but surely, its body never staying in the same form for a more than a few seconds.

Then Sasuke felt an icy cold run through his feet, he looked down to see two miniature stream of water leading directly from the pool, consuming his feet.

"Sasuke!" Karin cried in fear.

"_Can't...move..."_ Sasuke frantically thought

**"You wish to know why you have been brought to our place of resurrection? Very well, who are we to deny the seed of hatred"** the creature relied a hint of malicious humour in its voice.

Sasuke was now waist deep in the venomous water, unable to move an inch, thoughts of fear racing through his mind as dark pool devour his body. All he could do was stare at the creature's inhuman eyes as he was dragged below.

**"All will be revealed to you, child of vengeance, learn of your conquest and learn of your role in the coming of our return"**

The water was now filling Sasuke's mouth and nostrils, his consciousness was fading as his body went horribly numb.

**"Learn of our past, and help shape our future, the future...that is Dormin"**


	4. The Outcast Soldiers

Colossus: Wandering Shadows 

The Outcast Soldiers 

Things had gone to hell.

The fight to stop the Omega A.I had escalated with the sudden involvement of the Freelancer, Agent Wyoming, an expert marksman who had arrived in Blood Gulch for the sole reason of killing off his targets. Targets consisting of those that wore blue armour.

Along with his incredible sharpshooting skills, his mastery of his own A.I; Gamma, he was decimating everything in sight.

A soldier had to react and adapt to new obstacles, no matter what. This was one of the foundations that Church had beaten into himself when he had joined the Blue Army.

But this…this was just pushing it!

Church was pushed back up against the nearest rock that Blood Gulch had provided for him, in order to take on some form of shelter. As he looked around, everything had become chaos.

The Red Army, completely oblivious to the consequences if Omega achieved his goal, had crashed somewhere on the other side of the canyon and were either reforming their plans or getting the hell out of the kill zone.

Had it been him, he would have gone for the later.

His "unit" had been scattered during the conflict. His second-in-command and self-registered "love doctor" Lavernius Tucker was at the precipice of the storm that they all seemed to be caught in, and was taking shelter from Wyoming's endless barrage of bullets.

Despite seemingly being immune to the warping effects of Gamma, Tucker's only weapon was the alien double bladed sword he had come across during one of their many misadventures. Unless he got within an arm's reach of the Freelancer he was without any means to do any real damage.

So he was basically screwed.

Another member of his unit and his self-appointed "best friend, Michael J Caboose, wasn't fairing to well either. He was running and ducking behind every available cover, but that didn't stop the tank from blasting him with highly explosive shells.

Gamma had managed to infiltrate and take control of the Blue Army's smart-tank (originally known as Sheila) and was tearing apart the canyon. Caboose was only a split second ahead of it, and all the while trying to counter the situation.

By cursing the tank and promising to bake it muffins it stopped trying to fill his body with lead.

"Sheila! If you're still in there, then fight through the A.I's control! I know you still remember my voice! You remember the way I tried to make scrambled eggs with motor oil in order to fix your bowel problem and then Tucker ate them and started coughing up blood! Remember those fond memories and comeback to us!" he yelled out, quite poetically given the subject and situation.

There was a brief second interval…before Caboose was sent soaring through air when the tank launched a missile directly in front of him. The shockwave sent him crashing to the ground with a monumental thud.

"Caboose! Are you alright?" Church called out.

"I can see all 63 stars of the United States around my head!" he called back in response.

Church sighed in relief.

"He really is the greatest dumbass this side of the universe" he thought aloud, reloading his assault rifle.

"Still, you have to give him points on trying to be a charmer"

Church snapped his head to the side where the familiar voice originated from. Slowly, the body of an armoured soldier appeared from nothingness, drenched in black armour. The blue soldier felt himself feel a little easier, and at the same time a little nervous.

"At least one of you morons is making an effort" she added, her voice with authority and a killer edge, yet unmistakable female.

Agent Texas, better known as Tex, a rogue Freelancer who had sided herself with the Blue Army, and was a former girlfriend of Church's. Now he's be the first one to admit that she was a psychotic bitch with a tendency for killing both enemies and teammates, but there was still a spark inside his heart for her.

Not that either would admit it.

"Are you saying you'd seriously take Caboose on his offer?" Church joked, referring to their practice run earlier, where Caboose had practiced flirting with Tex before trying it on Sheila so they could extract vital information for her.

Tex was quiet for a moment.

"…Tex, why aren't you disagreeing with me? You are supposed to disagree with me! If you're not disagreeing with me than your agreeing to my earlier statement which in turns means that-" Church yelled out, hyperventilating.

"Hi"

Church nearly leapt out of his skin (if he wasn't part mechanical due to an incident some time ago) and turned around, preparing to empty an entire clip on whoever was stealthy enough to sneak up behind him.

Then he realized it was Caboose.

"What the? How the hell did you get over here so fast! You were blown thirty feet in the air!" he yelled out in disbelief.

"Oh yeah, I walked that off" Caboose responded, like it was nothing at all to be concerned about.

"…I'm not going to even bother to ask how the hell that's possible" Church groaned, becoming use to the feats his half-witted team-mate could perform when push came to shove.

"I heard my name, were you guys talking about me? Oh hi Tex!" Caboose greeted the Freelancer, oblivious to the fact that his heartbeat had increased slightly.

"Hello Caboose" Tex responded with a sigh, as another shell exploded from overhead.

"We weren't talking about you! Why would we talk about you! We'd rather talk about plants than talk about you! In fact, that's what we were talking about plants! Yeah, we were discussing the fact that despite a steady water supply and plenty of sunlight, there are literally no plants in Blood Gulch! I mean, that's just batshit crazy! Isn't in Tex? Cause you know, that's what we were talking about"

An awkward silence consumed the three.

"Church…that's…slightly dorky" Caboose responded.

Church's face went a blistering red in a split second.

"Did…did you just call me a dork?" Church asked in disbelief.

Tex snuffed a chuckle.

"Yeah, I thought as your friend it was important to tell you that was probably the dorkiest thing you've said since I've known you, just for the record" he replied cheerfully.

This time even Tex turned to face Caboose.

It may be true that was probably the dorkiest thing Church had said, despite it all being a really crappy cover. She found it hilarious because she had purposely stayed quiet in order to spark a reaction from him. Someone like him feeling threatened by someone like Caboose was a gem to behold.

Still…despite Caboose's "flirtation" being one of the dumbest things she'd heard in her life, knowing who he was made it sweet in some sort of twisted way. Church may have been competent and a good soldier (to an extent) but he was no Romeo, and had never once tired to woo her in their previous relationship.

She would never have accepted it of course, being in the position she was and being who she was, romance wasn't even on the agenda. Still, she was a woman at heart, and some part of her (a minuet part) enjoyed it.

What was bizarre right now, was that was probably the smartest thing Caboose had ever said, and it just so happened to be an insult.

Today really was a day to behold.

"You feeling all right?" she asked in a passing question.

"Don't take his side!" Church snapped.

"I'm not sure…I just have this feeling deep down, really deep down…that today is special, something big is going to happen" Caboose replied.

A shell took the top half of their cover off, exposing them to the artillery of the tank and the scope of Wyoming.

"Oh yeah! Today is real fucking special!" Church snapped back.

Tex crouched down as far as she could behind what was left of the shattered rock. She peered up to the top of Blue Base, where her former team-mate was taking his time picking apart Tucker's defences. Knowing him like she did, he savoured the kill, and was waiting for Tucker to have nowhere to run.

His focus was entirely on him.

…Which gave her the perfect opportunity to take the bastard's head off.

"You two keep the tank off my ass! I'll make a break for Tucker!" Tex called out.

"By yourself? Wyoming will take you out before you even reach the base!" Church retorted, voice filled with fear.

"Listen to Church! Don't let Wyoming take you out to dinner!" Caboose added.

"Nobody is taking me out! Just keep that tank distracted and off my back and I'll be fine!" Tex snapped back at the pair, who both shrank into themselves as a result.

Tex peered around the corner, the white-armoured soldier enjoying every shot he took at the cyan swordsman, who had now resorted to trying to camouflage himself with the grass.

The next shot skimmed his shoulder.

"SON OF A BITCH!" Tucker cried out, the cut in his armour now visible.

Tex knew that perverted soldier didn't have long before Wyoming made his final shot, the one he always saved until the last moment, and the one that never missed. Biting on her lower lip, she broke her cover and started her manic sprint from the shattered rock to the edge of the base.

"Tex! Get back here!" Church yelled out.

"We get a better look at your back from over here!" Caboose added.

"Shut up!" Church snapped back.

The blue armoured soldier cursed at that woman's tenacity, he bent down as low as he could so he had some form of shelter. He loaded his personal sniper rifle and took aim scanning the canyon ahead.

"Church? What are you doing?" Caboose asked.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm going to take out that son of a bitch before he guns Tex down!" Church replied fiercely.

"You are going to take Wyoming out to dinner before he takes Tex out to dinner? I don't think that'll solve the problem" Caboose questioned.

"How…how is it possible for a person to be this dumb?" Church asked, simply stunned at his teammate's level of idiocy.

"You were going to take Wyoming out to dinner, which seems pretty dumb to me" Caboose replied, in a sort of as-a-matter-of-fact voice.

"SHUT UP CABOOSE! FOR ONCE IN YOUR STUPID LIFE! WILL YOU PLEASE SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Church shrieked in anger.

"You want me to be quiet?" Caboose asked.

"Yes! Would you please be so kind as to shut your goddamn mouth for just a second!" Church yelled, almost in a pleading manner.

"Okie dokie, not a word from now on" the blue soldier promised, making a haphazard salute at his commander.

Church didn't even bother with a thank you; instead he placed his sniper rifle over what was left of the jagged rock. Through the scope he could see his former lover making good ground.

A sigh of relief escaped his lips; at least Wyoming hadn't picked up on her yet. He had a clear opportunity to put a bullet in Wyoming's head while he was still distracted?

Moving the weapon upwards, he finally got Wyoming in his sights. Controlling his breathing, he kept the weapon steady, dead on target, and squeezed the trigger. He felt the recoil as the bullet was released from the chamber and soared through the air.

And hit Tucker right in his behind.

"SON OF A BITCH AGAIN!" he could hear the cyan solider scream as he fell to the ground, a splatter of blood surrounding his backside.

"Goddamit! Caboose we need to move closer, Wyoming somehow mentally changed the angle of my shot, we' going to have to-"

As he faced his back to the rock, he came face to face with the metallic structure of their very own smart-tank, its cannon aimed directly at them at lethal closeness. If Church sill had a human body, he would have emptied the contents of his bowels then and there.

"…Caboose"

"Yes, Church?"

"Why didn't you tell me that the A.I possessed tank was directly behind us?" he asked, barely above a whisper.

"You told me not to talk, not matter what the circumstances, even if Evil Sheila were to suddenly sneak up on us from behind, despite me being able to see her slowly creeping up on us. I stood by what you said, so you cannot blame me" Caboose replied, his voice just as quiet, but filled with blind confidence.

Both soldiers felt the heat from the cannon as it prepared to fire.

"Yes Caboose, I can and I do, completely blame you for this"

There was a brief second where the soldiers and the tank had a fierce stare off, neither backing down. It was the perfect portrait of man against machine. And then…

"RUN FOR IT!"

Church and Caboose leapt over the broken remains of rock just as the tank launched another shot, blasting the ground beneath it to hell. The soldiers didn't turn back and instead ran as fast as they could towards the base.

"Church!" Caboose called out.

"What?" Church yelled back.

"Where are we running to?"

"Anyway that the tank isn't!"

For the next few minutes, the soldiers danced in circles, avoiding the bullets and shells that seemed to be exploding around them. Despite running in all directions, they were slowly gaining ground on the base.

That was when Caboose stopped dead in his tracks and peered at it.

"Why did you stop moving? Do you want to end up in pieces?" Church howled.

"Tex!" he cried out.

"What about her?"

"She's up there!" Caboose cried out in fear.

Church spun around, his eyes darting to the top of the base. Sure enough, his former lover was engaged in a fierce fight with Wyoming. However, it appeared that was fighting a losing battle, one of her legs looked like it hand been rendered useless and her helmet was cracked.

"We've got to move now!" Church yelled.

But even he realized that it was too late. Wyoming discarded his sniper rifle and pulled out an SMG. Kicking her in the head, the rogue Freelancer went down.

Just as Wyoming riddled her body with bullets.

"_**TEX!" **_

Then, everything went white.

* * *

**The Trial of Scent: The Brass Corridor **

Nausea came over Church as he coughed and spluttered. His helmet pushed right against the stone floor, while the darkness covered his visor. After a few painful seconds, Church felt strength flood back into his arms, and tried o force himself up.

He was then hit by a wave of fear.

"_Tex! Oh god please don't be dead!"_

He spun around, expecting to see the war torn surroundings of Blood Gulch. Instead he was greeted with endless dark, within a scentless corridor.

"What the hell…?" he thought around.

It was then he noticed his sniper rifle on the floor below him. He slowly reached for it, hoisting back into his arms, feeling the familiar feeling of the weapon in his hands. He then started to study his new surroundings.

This wasn't good. Had he been knocked out? Had Wyoming captured him? Where was Caboose? Were Tex and Tucker still alive?

And where the hell was he?

It was then a voice reached his ear. The voice was soft and faint, but it was there none the less. As his eyes got used to the dark, he made out two silhouettes, one on the ground, while the other crouched.

As quiet as a shadow, Church made his way over to the pair. He got close enough to make out the red of the figure's shirt, and in one swift movement, put the end of the sniper rifle to the back of his head.

"Don't move a muscle; you have exactly five seconds to tell me where I am before I put a bullet in your head"

* * *

**The Trial of Sound: The Copper Path **

"Oh my head…Church?" Caboose asked.

The light was dim, only appearing in lines at various points around the incredibly large room. Still there was light enough to make out his surroundings, and to realize that he had become separated form his best friend.

"Church? Church? If you can hear me, say the release date for the next Harry Potter film" he called out.

All he got was an amplified echo of his own voice, which seemed to span the entire length of the corridor, and vanish into the dark. The feeling was horrific, he had never encountered so much silence in his life.

He enjoyed the sound of guns, Church's cursing, the sound of Tex breaking Tucker's arm for the fourteenth time, all the pleasurable sounds of living in Blood Gulch, but this was just creepy.

And then he realized he wasn't alone.

In one of the beams of light, he saw a figure curled up on the floor, and form the reflection in the light, he saw the speckles of blood that had sprouted from a wound. Throwing caution to the wind, he sprinted towards the figure, who he realized was not a soldier of either the Blue or Red Armies.

It was a child, a small blonde child; use prestigious uniform had been cut to ribbons, and had a variety of cuts all over his body. Caboose carefully placed his hands underneath the child and lifted him so he was balance din his arms.

"Hello? Can you hear me? My name is Caboose, do you have a name?" Caboose whispered, lightly shaking him.

Nothing, only more silence.

"Please don't be dead, please don't be dead" he thought aloud.

His heart was filled with relief when the child began to stir.

"Don't worry; I'm going to protect you" he gently whispered.

* * *

**The Trial of Sight: The Hallway of Steel**

"Oh man, what a party…feels like there's a bullet in my ass" Tucker moaned.

He opened his eyes, and was only greeted by endless dark, and several columns behind him that flooded in light. Taking one look at his bizarre surroundings, Tucker only thought one thing.

"Must be early morning, back to bed" he yawned and rolled over onto his back.

That proved to be a fatal mistake.

Pain surged through him as he felt something sharp pierce through his armour and his leg. Tucker screamed in agony as the blade cut through his flesh, luckily avoiding the bone, but still painful beyond belief.

"Jesus H. Christ! What the hell?" he yelled, desperately trying to force his leg off the blade which seemed to have spawned from the ground.

His efforts appeared to be futile as the pain prevent him from moving.

"Oh god! Where the hell are Church and Caboose! Someone help me out here!" he cried, ignoring the tears of pain that were stinging his eyes, fresh blood oozing over his cyan armour.

That's when he heard the voices.

"Why...you are no more than a child, how did such an innocent as yourself end up in such a dreadful place?" the first spoke out.

"Okay, first off; I am fourteen and technically a man! Second, are you bipolar or something?" the second snapped back.

That sounded young, almost like children, but it was better than nothing.

"Hey! I don't care if you're the goddamn Master Chief! Both of you get your ass over here and help me!"


End file.
